1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to agricultural seed planting implements and to the furrow opening assemblies thereon, and more particularly to the apparatus for adjusting the depth of the furrow opened by the furrow opening assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of seed planting implements, including seed drills and planters. In a known type of planting implement, seed planting or row units are attached to a toolbar extending transverse to the direction of planting. The toolbar is coupled to a tractor or other work vehicle suitable for pulling the planting implement along a field that is to be seeded to a crop. Each planting unit includes a ground penetrating assembly, often including one or more discs, for opening a seed trench or furrow in the ground as the planting implement is pulled across a field. Components of the ground penetrating assembly shape the bottom and sides of the seed trench, and a seed metering device provides individual seeds at a controlled rate for deposit in the seed trench. Furrow closing components of each row unit close the seed trench in a controlled manner.
It is a desirable and perhaps even primary agronomic principle that seeds should be planted at precisely controlled and consistent depths. Since a single planting implement may be used to plant several different types of crops and/or the same crop in different planting locations under different planting and growing conditions, it is necessary that the planting depth is adjustable so that the seeds are placed at a depth that has been determined to be the best for seed germination and plant growth of the particular crop under the existing and anticipated conditions.
To control planting depth, it is known to provide gauge wheels that travel on the surface of the field to control the depth to which the ground penetrating assembly can run, the positions of the gauge wheels being adjustable so that the depth of the seed trench can be controlled within fractions of an inch. Adjustment linkages are provided for changing the relative positioning of the gauge wheels with respect to the ground penetrating assembly. It is known to move the adjustment linkage by a handle connected thereto, the handle engaging a register having multiple positions for securing the handle to maintain the position to which the handle is adjusted
As growers have gained greater understanding about seed germination and plant growth, and as soil preparation procedures have changed and improved, crop growers have demanded more precise control over seed placement both in spacing between seeds and in the depth at which the seeds are placed below the soil surface. Accordingly, there is both a demand and a need for even more precise control over the depth of the seed trench that is formed during planting operations.
What is needed in the art is a depth adjustment control for a planting implement that provides greater control over the depth to which ground penetrating components can run during a planting operation.